#BLOGLIKECRAZY DAY 23: SOCIAL MEDIA - ENTERTAINMENT OR FULL-TIME JOB...

...  I have learned so much about social media platforms this year, but there is still just as much to be learned.  My teenage students are amazed whenever I join in on their social media conversations.  They say "whattttt!" when I say oh yes, and I  ALSO have a blog.  (Although we cannot follow each other until after they graduate.)   I do enjoy social media because it sort of opens the world to me and puts me in touch with so many new people.  With all the beeping and whistling of notifications, I often have to ask myself - is social media entertainment for me, or is keeping up with all of it becoming a FULL-TIME JOB???.

I find myself involved in:

INSTAGRAM  I came late to the party buy I've actually fallen deeply in love with Instagram!.  Although I basically post (is it called posting there too?) sewing related content  I THINK  I've built quite a "presence" there as #TheSewingGourmet (lol). Posting my gourment cuisine has been so much fun.  It's sort of funny when follower's try to invite themselves to dinner after I post one of my dishes.  But the most impressive thing happened when another sewing blogger asking for one of my self created recipes by Instagram message.  I was so flattered.   So my IG posts document my sewing projects as well as the foodie side of me.

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PINTEREST  And I can't say enough about the sewing inspiration, helpful hints and tips and recipes that I've found on Pinterest.  It's a virtual gold mime of categorized information.   I really need to organize my Pinterest boards but that's another story for another day.  Guess what my most re-pinned pins are?

• turn your barbecue grill into a smoker http://bbq.about.com/od/rib1/ss/aa011009a.htm#step4 , and 
• phyllo chicken pot pie  http://www.tasteloveandnourish.com/2014/02/03/phyllo-chicken-pot-pie/.

I don't spend half the amount of time as I use to here, but I love knowing where to find my information when I need it - on one of my 105 Boards- that's where.  My plan is to connect my blog to Pinterest even more in the days to come.

FACEBOOK  Who isn't on Facebook?, it's an all time fav of many, I know.  It's quick, it keeps you updated on all the goings and comings of friend's and associates, and some people also use it to promote not only their blogs but their businesses as well.  I must admit that FB and IG has messed me up a bit with their "like/love" buttons.  It's so quick to just "like"  something and keep it moving or have the option of  commenting if you want to.



TWITTER  For some reason I've had a bit of a learning challenge in dealing with Twitter.  Working with it has not come as easy as working with the other platforms for me.  For one thing, I can't remember my password!, and when I request a reset the link always leads me to a non-working reset page, huh?  I have; however, discovered that I can use it easily from my Android so I have just recently started tweeting.  Hopefully I'll get more use from it in the days to come.

Now, PERISCOPE - now that's  a whole nother ball game.  I'm still a bit startled whenever I hear my phone whistle during the course of the day - and night for that matter.  When I hear it, I can't help wonder "who's live", even if I can't watch at the moment.  Although I've not done my first "scope" I am quite a watcher and follower (Is that a form of lurking?).  It could be my sewing teacher from Houston, Texas; or the Bridal Couturier from Augusta, Georgia; or the Fashion Designer from Charlotte, North Carolina who just made her FIRST winter coat in just 7 days when it too me a full month to make mine.  There's just no telling who it might be.  Oh my goodness, of all the social media platforms - right now this is my FAVORITE!  I've had to learn to scale down on Periscope early in the game.  As not to get pulled down the "rabbit hole" as I initially did with Pinterest, I've decided that I just don't have to watch every suggested scope - I'd never get ANY work done if I did.

And last, but certainly not least my baby, my blog FAYE'S SEWING ADVENTURE!  As you can imagine, this blog ranks first on my list of my social media involvement.  I've nurtured this platform since February 10, 2007 (almost 9 years).  Who would have thought it would have held my interest for that long?  It seems like only yesterday that I discovered sewing blogs and  said "oh, I want one of those".  I've learned so much about blogging and and have really worked on this thing.   It has grown and even evolved just a bit, and is a wonderful method of chronicling my sewing progress.   Oh, but I do have lots and lots of  plans for expansion one step at a time.  I really appreciate your tuning in to watch and read because you actually help me to grow!  

What is your social media platform of choice, and why...